"The Jon Wood Award recognizes those that excel in the field of public astronomy outreach and/or display a keen potential in the sciences. This award is given out generally five times per year by 'Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project' to assist and encourage solar astronomers around the world to begin or increase their solar astronomy outreach activities int heir local communities"
On 30 May, 2014, I got this announcement from the director Stephen W. Ramsden of 'Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project':
"The next recipient of CBSAP equipment to help their outreach efforts will be Umair Asim in Pakistan. Umair personifies all the values of our program and he has a passion for improving his community through science that is unrivaled, in my experience."
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that! I am so grateful to CBSAP for this honour! CBSAP sends solar astronomy equipment with this award and on 3 July, this was announced:
"I am EXTREMELY proud to announce that thanks to the donors to this program and my recent award of a new scope and the Astro-Oscar at the Starlight Festival we at CBSAP headquarters have just shipped off another Jon Wood Outreach Award to a most deserving individual in Lahore, Pakistan. Congratulations Umair Asim at the Farooqi Girls High School for his tireless efforts at educating students and the general public about the wonders and science of Astronomy! ... together we have all made it happen through our combined financial support and my extra equipment! He has just been shipped:
Meade 127mm APO with Feather Touch Custom Focuser
Lunt Solar Systems 2 inch Wedge
2 sets of Polarizers 2 inch and 1.25 inch
Baader Hyperion 8-24mm MkIII Zoom lens eyepiece
Televue 2.5x Powermate
Skywatcher 2 inch Nighttime Star Diagonal
Explore Scientific 50mm Finder Scope
ADM mounting rings and a Vixen rail
Retail value over $5000!! plus $1200 to ship it!"
WOW!!! I was simply overjoyed to see all this :)
The equipment reached to me in the third week of July. Though it was requested, at all four sides of the package, to the customs to wave the duty and other charges since this equipment will be used for public outreach and astronomy program but i ran out of luck there.. anyway after the clearance, i was there to receive it from UPS Courier.
The package was Huge!! and putting it in my car was not possible so i had to use non conventional way of driving.. yes yes.. Safety First.. for telescope.. right!
Thank you once again CBSAP and Stephen Ramsden! Just waiting and hoping for the monsoon season to end up soon and then there will be me, this telescope and all, lots of young students and the star of our show, the Mighty Sun!
